Doctrinal Position

Welcome to Virginia University of Lynchburg

Virginia University of Lynchburg (formerly Virginia Theological Seminary and College), was founded as a Christian Institution of higher education. Therefore, in order to provide the means by which the administration, faculty, and students may be guided by the Word of God, the founding fathers of the Virginia Baptist State Convention stated that the initial aim was to “make this institution thoroughly and positively Christian.” As a community, which follows the Christian Doctrine, we subscribe to the faith of our fathers and mothers who followed the teachings of the Old Testament and the New Testament.

We believe in one True God, the Creator of the Universe, and all that exists within. God is the Father of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and of our Lord Jesus Christ who was manifested in the flesh as God and man, lives and reigns in unity with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The three modes of being in the Trinitarian Godhead as understood by Christians are of the same substance and are distinct in person and function.

We believe that God the Father is the First Person of the Trinity and the beginning of all that God has made evident in the Universe. He is the maker of heaven and earth and is actively involved in His purpose to redeem all of creation to its original state of perfection.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Trinity, eternally generated from God the Father. Jesus our Lord is God and man and his unitary personality unites the divine and human natures. Through a miracle, by the Holy Spirit, He was conceived and born to the Virgin Mary and lives forever as God and man with two distinct natures united in one person.

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Triune Godhead, emanating from the Father and the Son, and sharing equality with them. The Holy Spirit gives life to all and participates in the creation and the orderly activity of the universe. The Holy Spirit is the means by which men, women, boys and girls are born again; to comfort the believers, and assist us on our journey toward perfection.

We believe that God created all things; angels were created as messengers and ministering beings but, with the advocacy of Satan, some angels rebelled against God and fell from their sinless state and became evil beings. We further affirm that God created the universe in six days and rested upon the seventh. Human beings were created by God in His image and likeness, and they are responsible under God for how they exercise dominion over the work of God’s hands and conduct their own lives.

We believe that the Bible (the Old and New Testament) was written by individuals who were inspired by God and is therefore authoritative in all matters. We believe that under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the believer can understand and discern its meanings.

We believe that Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, willfully disobeyed God, and by doing so brought sin and death into the world; now all persons are sinners from birth and stand in need of redemption from the consequence of sin. We believe that Jesus Christ gave Himself as the supreme sacrifice by the will of God the Father, and through the crucifixion on a cross and His obedience to the will of His Father, He redeemed all through the shedding of His blood and death at Calvary. He was buried and on the third day, He arose from the dead. He ascended into heaven where He now sits at the Father’s right hand and makes intercession for all believers.

We believe that each person can be saved through the work that Jesus accomplished on the Cross of Calvary and the subsequent resurrection on the third day. Salvation for Believers becomes a reality when repentance of sin is confessed with faith alone in Jesus Christ as Savior. The Believer is then made righteous through faith alone and experiences the new birth through the power of the Holy Spirit. With this power, the Believer is able to turn from sin and live out his or her life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit dwells in all who have been born again, assisting in the preservation of the image of God within them, and conforming their lives into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We believe that the local church is a congregation of baptized believers, organized to carry out the great commission to evangelize, teach, and administer the Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Church has two scriptural officers, the Pastor and the Deacon. The Church carries out its mission through the gifts given by the Holy Spirit to all believers and prepares them for eternal life.